Jim stood in the depths of the night, brows slightly furrowed, eyes sharp—his mind seeming to hold an entire map of troop formations. He continued to speak, steadily and without pause.
His pace gradually quickened, yet not a single detail was muddled. Complex routes, time checkpoints, overlapping patrol cycles—he recited them all with the clarity of running water, missing not a single nuance.
"…As for the latest changes, starting tomorrow, there will be a minor rotation at the northwest sector. One hour before the shift, a temporary gap in security will occur. Three days later, the northern troops will reposition. The transfer path follows a Z-shaped detour through the eastern trail—except, the breach near the southeastern cliff face will be left unguarded."
Livia continued writing rapidly, quietly astonished.
—This man's memory… it was even more terrifying than the rumors said.
He wasn't merely a king of the underworld—he was a hunter, a walking map.
Though she kept her expression calm, her pen gliding without pause, a faint sense of awe crept into her heart.
Buying time had been her true goal—but this, this was an unexpected bounty.
Still, she knew better than to take it all at face value. She wasn't a military expert—without Elias or Marcellus verifying these formations, she had no way of knowing what was real. And Jim, if he wished, could easily slip in just one false detail… one tiny lie could spell catastrophe.
She stole a glance at her watch.
Adrian should be clear of the area by now.
Whether or not they'd succeeded, this delay was reaching its limit. Any longer would be pushing her luck.
She capped the pen, voice calm.
"That's everything, then. Here's the file you wanted—just a copy, of course. Like I said, the original is long gone."
She handed over a slightly yellowed map, intentionally aged to look older. Jim took it with a glance, not even opening it—either he trusted her… or he simply didn't care.
"From here on out, we all rely on our own abilities," Livia added. "But—if you haven't lied to me, our cooperation might still work. Could be more interesting than you going solo."
Jim tucked the document into his coat. His expression was unreadable.
"That's what I was thinking."
Then he turned and began to walk away.
Livia allowed herself to breathe, thinking it was finally over—when Jim's voice cut through the dark one last time.
"Oh—by the way."
Her chest tightened instantly. She turned toward him.
He didn't look back. His voice was light, almost offhand.
"That old friend of mine… I won't trouble her. Seems she's with you now. I hope she really does help you—for your sake."
"Just because it's you asking."
Then he strode into the dense woods and was swallowed by the night.
Livia stood frozen, her expression growing cold. Her palms were drenched in sweat.
He knew about Emma.
He recognized the mark Emma had left. He knew Emma had helped her—but chose not to expose it. One casual mention—"for your sake"—was all it took to turn forgiveness into a warning.
A chill, sharp and nameless, crawled up her spine.
This was Jim.
Even when he seemed to walk away peacefully, he left behind a blade hanging over your heart.
She drew a long breath.
Emma… leaving really was the right choice.
But now wasn't the time for reflection.
She turned sharply and sprinted out of the trap zone, heading for the rendezvous point.
She had to know—Had Adrian succeeded?